


Boards and Games

by PalestAzure



Category: Open Heart (Visual Novels)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Interracial Relationship, Sexy Times
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:46:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22860460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PalestAzure/pseuds/PalestAzure
Summary: Zyra is reaching the end of her residency and has passed her medical boards. She and Ethan spend an impromptu time celebrating with some fun and games.
Relationships: Ethan Ramsey/Main Character (Open Heart)
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This turned out much longer than I had planned. So I divided it into two digestible parts. :)

“Are you sure?” Ethan glanced down at Zyra, who was standing beside him. 

“Look at this face.” She raised her hand and pointed to herself. “Does this look like a face of uncertainty to you?”

Ethan could see through her failed attempt at her seriousness. Her dark brown eyes were still bright, hopeful, and full of life. Her jaw was partially clenched to keep herself from giving him her usual full and warm smile. He then raised both of his hands in defeat, playing along with her ruse. 

“It is your night after all. I will do anything you want.”

It was indeed her night. And a very special one. Ethan had taken Zyra out for an evening together to celebrate her passing the medical boards. They began by enjoying dinner at a high-end restaurant, one that Zyra could not afford, but one Ethan knew she had an interest in. She had mentioned it while browsing Yelp reviews one evening as she laid next to him in bed, during one of their many sleepovers at his condo. He had remembered it ever since that night and wanted to surprise her. When they arrived, the expression on her face alone told him he made the right choice. And perhaps it was also the full kiss she gave him when the realization of where they were finally hit her. 

Ethan had reserved a table next to the window that overlooked the Charles River. Their dinner consisted of long, healthy discussions about their relationship, work, and her post-residency plans, over grilled hanger steak and black pepper rubbed roasted duck breast, all while finishing off a full bottle of Palmento Costanzo Etna Rossa, a red wine from Sicily, Italy. They topped off their meal by sharing a slice of vanilla bean cheesecake with a drizzle of blueberry-thyme and lemon sauce. 

After dinner, they had plans for an 8 pm performance of _Carmen_ at the Boston Opera House. But their walk towards the venue was put on hold. 

Now they were standing outside of a building about a 10 minute walk away from their next destination. There was a large electric sign of neon lights that flashed _The Arcade Hall_. There were no windows, but only a set of double doors and a bouncer, who was checking IDs from a short line of people in jeans, sweaters and t-shirts, and different varieties of athletic shoes. 

But Ethan was attired in a simple black dinner suit with a slim fit. His jacket was left unbuttoned, exposing his neatly pressed white dress shirt and a matching black tie with silver diagonal stripes, which had a shiny, reflective quality when met with light. A black stainless steel Movado watch wrapped around his wrist, and he now glanced at it to note the current time. 

Zyra’s dark blue, tailored boatneck dress hit at her knees and had a refined crosshatch weave. The capped sleeves covered her shoulders, but allowed the length of her toned arms to breathe. With the dress, she wore a pair of black suede pumps with a pointy toe. Her natural locks were brushed to the side into a large, curly side puff over her right ear. She wore a light amount of makeup, only for highlighting the lines of her natural beauty. Her attire was accented with silver hoop earrings and a matching bracelet, a bracelet she received on her last birthday from Ethan. 

“The show doesn’t start for another hour. We have time to kill.” Ethan looked up from his watch to meet Zyra’s gaze. 

“When was the last time you came to an arcade?” Zyra asked him as she held his hand, leading him to the back of the line with her.

Ethan scratched his chin as he stared up at the neon sign. “There was one at a mall I used to go to when I was in junior high school.”

“Junior high? I think it’s time to get with the times.” 

“And I assume you will help me with that?”

“I’ll tell you a secret.” Zyra motioned with her finger for Ethan to come to her. Standing in heels gave her a better advantage to his already over six-foot tall frame, which usually towered over her. But Ethan still had to lower his head to meet hers, his ear nearing her mouth. “This place serves alcohol.” 

Ethan chuckled as he returned to standing upright. “That may help ease me into it.”

Once they approached the front of the line, the bouncer asked to see their IDs. Zyra pulled hers out from her clutch purse and handed it to him. He looked at it and then at Zyra. The bouncer’s eyes went over both of their bodies, his left eyebrow noticeably raised. “Special night?” 

“You know it!” Zyra flashed an excited grin, while Ethan waited next to her in silence with a disgruntled look.

The bouncer handed the ID back to her and asked her to show him the inside of her wrist. He stamped it with the arcade’s logo and let her pass. Near the door, Zyra waited for Ethan, who was now following the same routine. But his brows were furrowed in that same way when he became annoyed at and impatient with the interns. Zyra couldn’t help but quietly giggle to herself at the scene before her. Her amused expression remained, as Ethan walked towards her, but paying attention to his wrist.

“Is this really necessary? Being branded like an animal?”

“Ethan, this is normal. I really need to take you out more often to clubs and adult game centers.” Zyra began reaching for the handle of the door but paused.

“Look at this. A perfectly ruined shirt.” Ethan lifted his cuff, which was now partially stained in the blue ink from the stamp. 

Zyra took a moment to look at the damage. She held his hand, palm facing up. “Oh, it’s not that bad. I’m sure your dry cleaner can get that out without a problem. Now, am I going to have to deal with Dr. Terminator for the rest of the night, or can _my_ Ethan come back to me and to the wonderful evening we are sharing together?”

Ethan let out a subtle sigh. “I’m sorry. I want this night to be special for you.”  
  
“Don’t worry. It has been. I promise.” She opened the door and walked inside. Ethan held the door and followed her in. 

They were met with a large, two-story space. On the first floor were video game and pinball machines and a bar with a seating area. Upstairs included a large variety of redemption games, such as skeeball, a prize booth, and other games like air hockey. For being a Saturday night, Zyra had expected the place to be more packed, but there was a comfortable crowd size that she knew Ethan would appreciate. The place was loud from the sounds of the games, the chattering, and a selection of pop music that played in the background. 

“What first?” Ethan raised the volume of his voice while he looked around, studying the space. 

Zyra placed her hand along Ethan’s back and began to gently rub it. “We should get you a drink.” 

Ethan smirked. “You’ve read my mind.”

At the bar, Ethan ordered two beers and handed one to Zyra. “And for the lady of the night.”   
  
“Oh, why thank you, kind sir.” As she took her first sip, her eyes stayed locked on her boyfriend’s, but smiled against the rim of her glass at him. Ethan leaned against the bar on his side. His free arm rested along the countertop with his fingertips running featherlike caresses up and down Zyra’s arm.

“We should probably get some quarters for the machines after we finish our drinks.” 

Zyra nearly laughed into her beer at his idea. 

“Ok. I have two more secrets for you.” She placed her beer on the counter and tilted her head up to speak in his ear. “One. They don’t use quarters anymore. We just need to fill a card with money and swipe it at the machines. And Two. We can take our drinks with us. They have drink holders at every machine.” 

Before she pulled away, she kissed his cheek and his stubble gently tickled her. It was one of her most favorite sensations. 

Zyra grabbed her drink, then Ethan’s hand, and walked them over to the card kiosk. Ethan began to pull out his wallet from his back pocket. “Let me get this.”   
  
“Here. I’ll switch you.” Zyra took his wallet while she handed him her drink to hold. “How much?” She opened the wallet, already knowing which card to select out of habit.   
  
“As much as you want.”   
  
She glanced up at him, giving him a playful smile. “Aren’t you generous.” She punched in $50 and soon a black and gold card popped out of the machine. “This is our ticket to all the games.” She held up the card in enthusiastic anticipation for what was to come. 

She then reached behind Ethan to return the wallet. Her hand began to slide it slowly into his back pocket and with a specific purpose. Her fingers pressed against his firm cheek, all the while giving him an intense stare into his hypnotic, blue eyes. Ethan searched her eyes hungrily, feeling her tease him in an area she knew aroused him. He could feel his breath catching in his throat, as her fingers continued to trace along his fine curvature. But with his wallet finally returned in his pocket, Zyra took her drink from his grasp and began walking away towards the video games. There was a sensual tease on her lips as she glanced over her shoulder at him. Ethan cleared his throat and followed her, loosening his tie along the way.

Ethan walked beside Zyra, waiting to see if she saw something she wanted to play. But he stopped when his eye caught the title of one game. Zyra looked back behind her and saw Ethan standing in the middle of the aisle. A few people walked around him. 

“What is it? Are you OK?”

Ethan walked over to the game machine and ran his fingers over the control panel. Zyra looked up and read _Mortal Kombat II_. 

“This takes me back. I used to have this on my Super Nintendo back in the day.”

“You know Elijah has the most recent version on his Playstation. You should try it out next time you’re over.”

Ethan didn’t respond. She stared at him and noticed a distant look in his eyes. That was a sign that he was back inside his head. Perhaps he was returning to a period of his childhood that had more fond memories. He would later confirm her theory. 

While Ethan remained distracted by the thoughts in his mind, Zyra bent over and slid the card in the card reader on the machine. The screen immediately flashed to the choose-your-character screen. This jolted Ethan back to the present and to Zyra. She took his drink and placed both of theirs in the drink holder on the side. Noticing how his tie had already begun to loosen, she undid it and slid it off from around his neck. She folded it and put it in her clutch. 

“You may need to loosen up a bit while we’re here.”

“Good call.” Ethan smiled at her as he undid the top buttons of his shirt. 

“So, who are you going to choose?”  
  
“Are you not going to play?”

“Oh no. I want to see what you can do.”

“Well, it has been years. Many years.” 

Ethan used the joystick and the buttons to select his character. The machine narrated _Mileena_ , and the first round began. Zyra watched how Ethan effortlessly battled the computer’s Baraka character. But just like someone returning to riding a bike after many years, his hand moved the joystick with clear direction, while his fingers danced across the buttons with precision. He clearly knew what he was doing. His character did the usual leg sweeps, kicks, and punches, but also the special moves that Ethan must have memorized all those years ago and was now recalling. 

_Flawless Victory_. 

“You continue to surprise me, Dr. Ramsey. I had no idea you were quite the Mortal Kombat aficionado.”

Ethan glanced at his audience from the side and smirked. “I may be a little rusty.”

“You consider that rusty? You weren’t hit once!” She laughed.   
  
He continued being untouchable as he continued getting flawless victory after flawless victory. She couldn’t believe her boyfriend, the man who was into classical music and opera, was secretly a natural gamer. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him, as he continued moving up the ladder of opponents. Sub-zero. Check. Kitana. Check. Lui Kang. Check. But it was the fatalities that impressed her the most. And with easy recall, he moved the joystick in combination with some button presses to allow Mileena to take off her mask, reveal her monsterous face, and eat the opponent--in this case, Reptile--to only spit out his bones after. 

“You should see what she does now in the current version.”

Ethan flashed her an amused look of curiosity before he continued. 

He finally reached the end of the ladder to fight the main boss, Shau Khan. His character was only hit once during both rounds combined, but he cursed when it happened, showing how much he was taking this game too seriously. When the game was completed, Zyra slowly clapped with her mouth partly agape. 

“I forgot he had that move,” Ethan began to complain.

“Well, if it counts for anything, you sure impressed me. I may have even felt a bit hot and bothered while watching you.” 

Zyra’s finger trailed up along the row of buttons on his shirt, before gently hooking it in his open collar. She could feel a soft vibration in his throat. The arcade’s atmosphere blocked out the sound of his subdued growl. 

“But, honestly, I thought you were more of a Scorpion, not a Mileena.”  
  
“What made you come to that conclusion?”   
  
“I don’t know. A guy from hell kind of fits with your fiery temper. But I can see how Mileena fits too. I mean you do eat and spit out interns on a daily basis.”

“Get over here.” 

Zyra couldn’t help but laugh at Ethan mimicking Scorpion’s signature catch phrase, while he pulled her body against himself and playfully bit down on the smooth curve of her neck.

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ethan and Zyra's celebration continues to heat up.

They played some more arcade games and got a refill on their beers before they went up to the second floor. Zyra was eyeing the air hockey, but it was already occupied. While waiting, they chose to play some of the redemption games.

Ethan scored high at arcade basketball. Zyra crossed her arms with a slight pout forming on her lips. 

“Is there anything in here that you are _not_ good at? I’m seriously starting to believe that you’re not only a medical genius, Ethan.”

“I thought you were finding this all so attractive.” 

“It has its limits.” She winked at him. 

Ethan let out a sheepish chuckle. 

“Well, anyway, it’s just basic physics.” He peered down at the machine with a bewildered look. “Where are the tickets?”

Zyra held up the card. “The tickets are in here.” 

His hand covered his face as he just shook his head. “Well, I do have to respect the convenience of this technology.”

“Right? Who wants to carry around wads of tickets?” Her hand gave a thumbs down. 

Ethan noticed that the air hockey table was finally free. “Are you ready to be further turned on by your winner of a boyfriend?” He pointed towards the table.

“We’ll see.” She gave Ethan a quick kiss.

“What was that for?”

“For luck.”

“For whom?”

“Me, of course.”  
  
Ethan glared at her playfully as he took the card from her hand and prepared the game by swiping it. The air turned on, and the paddles began to levitate over the table due to the air pressure. The puck dropped at Zyra’s end of the table. She grabbed it and then set it down to float in front of her.

Ethan made eye contact with Zyra from across the table and began to remove his jacket. Zyra pulled at the collar of her dress, as she took a sharp intake of breath. She watched him slip it off his shoulders with care, and let it slide down his arms until he grabbed it in one hand to gently fold it and place it next to him on the floor. He then undid his cufflinks, slowly rolling the sleeves of his shirt up to the middle of his forearm. The tailored shirt hugged his frame in all the right places to provide clear definition of the muscles underneath. When he was finished, he grabbed his paddle, and positioned himself in a stance, awaiting Zyra’s first shot.

“Ready?”

Zyra blinked rapidly as she took her paddle in her hand.  
  
“Yup!” The pitch of her voice was high. “I mean, yes.” 

Ethan stared knowingly at her, satisfied with his payback for her teasing him all night. 

She set up the puck and hit it towards the goal. But Ethan blocked it and sent it back in her direction, sinking it in. The small electronic scoreboard above the table changed to “1:0”. 

“Ok. That was a freebie.”

“Sure it was.” He smirked as he waited.

Before beginning, she pulled her heels off. She could feel the comfort against her feet as her soles met the floor. Now she was ready. 

They volleyed back and forth multiple times through each round, each alternating between making goals. The game was now tied. Only one point was needed to win. But what Ethan didn’t realize was that Zyra was studying him the entire time. She noticed how he always positioned his paddle near the right corner of the goal whenever he was waiting for her to serve. And when she was studying him, she would serve the puck in that direction. This allowed him to block her and slam the puck towards her end and score. She kept up this act because she knew he was studying her moves as well. 

This was the last round. She blew him a kiss before she prepared her shot. She mouthed _for luck_ and struck the puck towards Ethan’s right. But before it crossed the centerline, she struck it again with much force to send it sailing into the goal to the left of where Ethan was readying his paddle. His reflex wasn’t fast enough for him to block her play. 

Ethan raised his hands, placing them on his head. His mouth was wide open.  
  
“What was that?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it was you getting your ass handed to you.”  
  
“You little PITA,” he teased. 

Ethan fixed his sleeves and put his jacket back on, before moving around the table to Zyra. His face was beaming. He watched in adoration as she slipped back into her pumps. When she was finished, she skimmed a fingertip along his stubbled jaw.

“That’s why we make a good team. You need someone to check your ego once in a while.”

“I appreciate you for keeping me humble.” He gently shoved her with his shoulder. Her arm wrapped around his waist from the side, and the two of them looked at each other with glowing expressions in their eyes and smiles.   
  
Ethan took a look at his watch. “We should get going soon. The show begins in 20 minutes.” 

As they were on their way out, they passed by a photobooth. There was no one inside.

“Ethan, wait. We have to do this before we leave.”  
  
“Can’t you just use your phone these days?”

“This is different. It’s more special.” Zyra walked to the booth and began pulling the curtain back.

“Amazing. I’m actually trying to get with the times and you’re shooting me down.” He laughed in bemusement. 

He followed her into the booth, drawing the curtain behind him. His long legs barely fit inside. His knees were pressed up against the area below the screen. Zyra leaned into his side, as she looked at their appearances on the screen. Ethan’s hand rested on her thigh as they tried to position themselves for the pictures. 

“We look pretty good.” 

Zyra turned her head from side to side, trying to identify the best angles. She then slid the card into the reader and read the options on the screen.   
  
“Which type do you want? We can choose different backgrounds. There’s also color or black and white.”   
  
“Your choice.” 

He wasn’t paying any attention to the screen. He didn’t even know any of the details of the options. Being forced so close to her drowned him in her enchantment. Just looking at her radiance brought his mouth to curl slightly upward. His eyes followed along the curves of her plump lips. He studied the shape of the light birthmark near her left ear, admired the way her hair curled softly against the side of her head, and awed at how the light made her dark complexion glow. 

“Ok! Ready.”   
  
Zyra began to pose for the camera, but Ethan edged closer to her. His lips began to caress along her neck in need. The hand on her thigh wandered up towards the front of her dress. He felt her shudder against him. Her mouth slightly parted open.

Ethan lifted his chin to look directly into her eyes, which were beginning to glisten. His hot breath tickled against her sultry lips, which popped in a layer of berry red lipstick. But Zyra broke the distance between them by greedily pressing her lips against his. Her tongue parted his lips, and curled to meet his own. She grabbed onto the lapels of his jacket as their kiss became more aggressive.  
  
His hand began to move under her dress and towards the junction of her thighs. Zyra parted her thighs a bit more to feel his reach. Ethan groaned at how warm and wet she felt against his fingers. And this was only against her underwear. His fingers slipped underneath the final covering to finally be met flush with her aching bud. He massaged circles along her clit, making her quiver against his hand. 

Their kissing muffled each other’s moans, especially the moment when Ethan slid further between her folds and rubbed the entrance of her sex. He felt her body tense. But then she pushed herself more against his fingers. His long, two digits breached her to reach towards her core. The sensation of her moist and slick canal made him sigh against her mouth, while she bit down on his lower lip in response. Zyra rocked her hips gently, allowing his fingers to caress her from the inside, while simultaneously, feeling soothed by his palm further rubbing against her clit. 

They continued their intimate moment in their awkward positioning within the booth. Never did they realize their photos were taken during some split seconds during its entirety. The sheet of photos came out and were waiting for them in the dispenser at the very moment Ethan felt Zyra’s walls contract roughly against his fingers and his palm become moist. 

Their foreheads were pressed together as they were regaining their breaths. Ethan slid his hand along the inside of Zyra’s thigh, tentatively wiping some of her off his hand. Zyra ran her thumb along his lips to clean off some of the residue from her lipstick. 

“We may have gotten carried away.” She dropped her head against the crook of his neck and began to chuckle against it.

“As long as it was worth it for you.” Ethan nuzzled his nose against the top of her head. “It’s your special night after all.”

They sat there savoring the comfortable silence in a solitary and private moment that they were both craving all night.   
  
“Should we go?” Zyra asked after peeking at the time on his watch.

Ethan nodded and proceeded to stumble out of the booth. His joints felt a bit sore due to sitting--and the other things--in the tight space. Soon Zyra filtered out, pulling her dress down and straightening it.   
  
“What about the pictures?” Ethan asked.   
  
“Oh! Right.” Zyra looked inside and saw them in the dispenser. She picked them up and laughed. Ethan peeked over her shoulder to look at them. He snorted as he tried to hold back his own laugh.

There were four separate black and white images. Each one made it quite obvious what they were doing in there.   
  
“I have to admit. The way your mouth is shaped here against mine is pretty hot,” Zyra remarked.

“This is unbelievable.”

“Maybe we should advance to making our own sex tapes,” she teased. But she noticed Ethan’s cheeks tint a faint reddish hue. 

“We should get going now, but let me clean up a little in the bathroom first.” Someone was eager to change the topic of the conversation. 

“Good idea.” She put the pictures in her clutch and then handed him his tie. “Meet you back here in like a couple of minutes.”

Ethan nodded and they both headed to the bathroom to freshen up. Zyra came out first, but didn’t see Ethan yet. She wandered to the prize booth and looked around. There was candy, cheap toys, and even electronics. But then her eyes stopped on something and she smiled widely.

* * *

On their walk to the opera house, Zyra pulled something out from her clutch.   
  
“I wanted to thank you for tonight.”   
  
“The night isn’t over. We still have one more stop, albeit a bit late.”

“Well, I wanted to give you this anyway.”  
  
Zyra pulled him to the side, away from the foot traffic. She took his hand and fastened something around his wrist, which covered the blue stamp. It was a red strap bracelet that said _You Rock_ in bold, white letters. 

“Where did you get this?” 

“Oh, you know, that high-end boutique at the arcade. Did you not see it?”

Ethan’s smile met his eyes as he looked at the woman before him. He then glanced down at the bracelet. “So, what is the meaning behind this jargon?”  
  
“Well, with only one more month of my residency remaining, I will finally be a fully licensed doctor. But you were my rock throughout it all. The highs, the mehs, and the lows. So, in my eyes, you rock, Dr. Ramsey.”

“Rookie…” 

Ethan swept her up against his chest into a deep, tight hug. She wrapped her arms around his neck as her feet left the ground, like one of those cliché moments in a romantic movie. But this was no movie, even though it was romantic. 

“I will always be your rock.”

“Except when it comes to air hockey.”

Zyra felt Ethan’s chest vibrate against her as he chuckled. He set her down. His hands rested on the sides of her face, as he gazed fondly into her eyes.   
  
“We can make that the one and only exception.”  
  



End file.
